Runtime: 96 minutes
Directed by: Frank Capra
Starring: Warren William, May Robson, Guy Kibbee, Glenda Farrell, Ned Sparks, Jean Parker
From: Columbia
I give praise to Glenda Farrell. I never use such weird modern nomenclature like “give them their flowers” but that is what I’m doing here. Recently, someone on Letterboxd I follow lamented how most on Letterboxd know her best for her rather unexciting role in the gangster classic Little Caesar rather than the bold parts she portrayed where she was fun, delivering smart, whip-smart dialogue. I have viewed her in pictures like Mystery of the Wax Museum and Heat Lightning yet shamefully I’ve never specifically given her praise. Well, I will a little later for her supporting turn here.
I selected this film as it was from Frank Capra and was nominated for Best Picture that year. That isn’t always a sign of quality; Emilia Perez will receive a nomination in that category soon and besides knowing of its polarizing reception on Letterboxd, it was only last night that I saw any footage from the picture. A 15 second musical number was posted on Twitter… and it was a baffling clip concerning sex-change operations where I can’t believe it’s not a parody due to the lyrics and Autotune BS attached to every “singing” voice! As it’s a film set in Mexico yet Mexicans are horrified for a number of reasons concerning the film itself… don’t ever expect a review of that from me.
Where was I again… oh, yes, a movie undoubtedly much better than that arthouse trifle. The plot of Lady for a Day will seem familiar to those that have seen Capra’s A Pocketful of Miracles; it’s a remake of Lady. The movie’s a farce where a collection of wacky characters come together to pull off one heck of a con. An earthy, poor lady known as Apple Annie cosplays in letters to her long-unseen daughter in Barcelona that she’s a rich society dame. Well, daughter is coming to New York City to introduce her fiancĂ©, the son of a Count. Those characters (fellow beggars and hoodlums together) help Annie out, because… DAVE THE DUDE-Warren William-believes that she gives him good luck.
Like I proclaimed, this is a farce. It’s a film I enjoyed due to my amusement concerning the plot. It helped that the wide variety of characters were charming; I know some will like hearing that both Guy Kibbee and Nat Pendleton play plum roles. Farrell’s part wasn’t as large as I anticipated-at least not until the final act-yet was delightful as Missouri Martin, nightclub owner and sassy lady. At least there were times she received a starring role, such as Smart Blonde, where she played plucky newspaper reporter Torchy Blane.
Not everyone enjoys this nonsense; understandable. Even as it escalated and the con became more & more elaborate, I was still amused. Through the years in the future, I’ll once in a blue moon check out more directed by Capra and more featuring Glenda Farrell.
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